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September
5, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 15Oakland,
CA
World Youth
Day
Youth urged to reject ‘Do-it-Yourself’ religion
COLOGNE, Germany — Pope Benedict XVI ended his
first foreign trip and closed the World Youth Day festivities, Aug. 21,
by urging more than 1 million young Catholics to reject “do-it-yourself”
religion.
The pope closed World Youth Day with a huge open-air Mass at a former
mine called Marienfeld. Many in the crowd had camped overnight under damp
and cool conditions, and organizers said the crowd surpassed their most
optimistic estimates to top more than 1 million.
Benedict, the first German-born pope in more than 500 years, switched
seamlessly between his native German and Italian, English, French, and
Latin during the Mass.
He used his homily to reinforce his previous attacks against “moral
relativism” — the idea that truth can be different for each
person — and urged the youth to avoid the temptation to pick and
choose what aspects of Catholic doctrine were convenient or easy.
“Religion constructed on a ‘do-it-yourself’ basis cannot
help us in the end,” the pontiff said during his homily, which started
just as the sun broke through the overcast sky for the first time that
day.
“We must all help people discover the true star which points the
way for us: Jesus Christ. If you make the effort, you will realize that
this is what gives a proper focus to your lives.”
Earlier in the homily, Benedict called on those listening to him to make
the most of the freedom God had given them.
“Freedom is not simply about enjoying life in total autonomy, but
rather about living by a measure of truth and goodness,” he said.
“This takes place so that we ourselves can truly become true and
good.”
The 78-year-old pontiff was interrupted periodically by applause, but
the enthusiasm of the crowd fell far short of that enjoyed by Pope John
Paul II, Benedict’s predecessor, who sometimes used dry humor and
popular slang in his remarks to young people. But the crowd did listen
to Benedict intently and seriously, with many youngsters seen taking notes.
After the pontiff left for his return flight to Rome, thousands of young
people stayed in Marienfeld to digest Benedict’s homily and the
week’s events.
“I loved John Paul dearly, but I can not help but think that the
difference in personalities between John Paul and Benedict may be a good
thing in the long run,” said Oskar Manfried, 30, a schoolteacher
from the German city of Munster. “Maybe what we are seeing here
is the focus on the message rather than the man.”
Amy Saloran, 25, a New York City native studying in Germany for a year,
said that even though Benedict is not as naturally gregarious as John
Paul was, he is no less of an attractive figure.
“Pope Benedict’s passion for Scripture and God’s teaching
is plain for anyone to see,” Saloran said. “There is no doubt
about his sincerity and reverence.”
Virginia Roberts, 23, a student in London, said relationships she made
were as valuable as the lessons instilled by Benedict and other speakers.
“I expected to be in awe of being in the presence of the pope for
the first time,’ Roberts said. “But what I didn’t expect
was to be touched by so many of my peers from around the world who are
serious Catholics. In my school, there are probably half a dozen Catholics
who take their faith seriously. Here I met hundreds. It’s so beautiful
to know there are so many other people like me around the world.”
German law enforcement officials announced the crowd at between 1 million
and 1.1 million people, making it the third-largest World Youth Day Mass
ever, trailing only the 1.4 million who attended Mass in Rome in 2000,
and the 4 million who were on hand in Manila in 1995.
The next major World Youth Day event will be in Sydney, Australia, in
2008.
Pope Benedict waves to the crowd during his arrival at
the cathedral in Cologne, Germany, Aug. 18, to participate in World Youth
Day. His visit to his homeland was the first international trip of his
pontificate.
RNS PHOTO/REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
